Update - 23 February 2017
The Whakatāne River flow rate is steadily dropping after last week’s heavy rain, and with higher than usual tides expected next week, the raw water intake at the Whakatāne water treatment plant is likely to be limited by salinity levels at times. The Whakatāne District Council is therefore asking Whakatāne and Ōhope residents to continue to conserve water use wherever possible, to ensure that reservoir storage can be maintained at a safe level.
Water usage over the past week has averaged about 7000 cubic metres a day, and we will need to maintain that to ensure that there is sufficient storage to provide for community and emergency needs. The treatment plant’s emergency intake, which is about a kilometre further up the river, is now available and will allow treatment to continue at a reduced rate when salinity shuts down the main plant intake.
Update - 20 February 2017
The rain last week provided some welcome relief for the rural sector, and at least a temporary respite from the salinity issues which have affected the processing capacity at the Whakatāne water treatment station. The river flow had increased from 10 to 50 cubic metres per second by Saturday morning, but had dropped back to 30 cubic metres per second by Monday morning. If there’s no significant rainfall this week, we’re likely to be back to the low flow level which allows salinity to travel upstream as far as the treatment station intake on high tides.
In the meantime, the ‘Voluntary Conservation’ call for people supplied by the Whakatāne and Ōhope schemes remains in place. Daily water consumption over the last four days has averaged less than 7000 cubic metres a day, which is around 15% lower than for the same period in the previous week. That’s a very worthwhile saving, which has allowed the water treatment team to keep our reservoirs above 80% full - the minimum buffer needed to ensure that we have enough storage to cover any emergency needs or operational issues.
Update - 16 February 2017
Water consumption in Whakatāne and Ōhope has dropped this week, falling from around 8500 cubic metres on Sunday to between 7100 and 7500 cubic metres a day in recent days. That has allowed our water treatment team to keep the reservoirs serving the towns above 80% full, so a really good conservation effort so far.
The salinity issue in the river has eased a bit, mainly due to tidal conditions, but the river flow remains low at around 10 cubic metres per second. With some decent rain forecast over the next couple of days, we can hope for the river flow to pick-up, which will help hold the salinity issues at bay. Our emergency upstream intake is almost ready to be commissioned, following riverbank erosion repairs, and with that available to supplement our raw water intake, the possibility of having to introduce formal restrictions is receding.
However, the Council asks residents in both communities to continue their conservation efforts until further notice, to ensure that we keep on top of the situation and maintain a safe level of storage for community and emergency use.
12 February 2017
The Whakatāne District Council is asking Whakatāne and Ōhope residents to reduce their water usage wherever possible.
The steadily reducing flow rate in the Whakatāne River means tidal salinity is now extending upriver to the towns’ water treatment plant intake at times, affecting the plant’s treatment capacity. Gareth Phillips, Manager Three Waters Operations, says that initially consumers connected to the Whakatāne and Ōhope Water Supply Schemes are only being asked to take voluntary conservation measures, but if dry weather continues, it is possible that formal water use restrictions could be introduced.
“We’ll be placing signs in prominent locations in both communities to keep residents informed about the water situation and provide a visual reminder of what restriction level applies,” he explains. “Right now, we’re only asking people to be conscious of the situation and try to reduce usage, but if the supply situation deteriorates, we will move to restrictions on the use of hoses and sprinklers and, if worst comes to the worst, to a total ban on hose and sprinkler use.
“We will be commissioning our emergency intake, which is about a kilometre further upstream, to maintain our raw water intake capacity. However, the extension can’t deliver the full volume of water we need to keep our reservoirs full when usage is high. To ensure that we always have enough storage to meet fire-fighting and community needs, we therefore need to reduce our water use.”
Mr Phillips says reservoir storage needs to be maintained at between 75 and 85 percent of capacity to provide a safe buffer, and the more water the community saves through voluntary measures, the less likely it will be that formal restrictions will be needed.
Some simple tips for reducing household consumption:
- Turn taps off while you brush your teeth or when preparing food
- Take a short shower rather than a bath
- Water gardens only in the evening or early morning
- Only wash your car if it’s really necessary
- Use the half-flush on toilets wherever possible
- Fix any leaking taps
“When we have been confronted by a similar scenario in the past, the community response has been extremely helpful,” Mr Phillips concludes. “We are investigating potential long-term solutions to the supply issues, but in the meantime, community action will help us cope with the effects of any potential drought.”